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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22776604">Family of Three</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuthorReinvented/pseuds/AuthorReinvented'>AuthorReinvented</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hetalia: Axis Powers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Brief appearance of Belgium, Brothers, Family, Italy, Italy Brothers, Other, Romano, seborga just wants to be part of the family</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 14:55:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,586</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22776604</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuthorReinvented/pseuds/AuthorReinvented</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Fratello!"</p><p>Italy cheerfully called out to the darker haired country with his back turned to him. The other country turned at the call and Italy faltered. "Ah, Seborga, I thought you were fratello." He said apologetically, feeling somewhat embarrassed. For a moment Italy thought he saw a sad look crossed Seborga's face, but before he could be sure, the other instantly replaced it with a wide grin. " No problem Italy!" Seborga's carefree response was so light that Italy was almost certain he'd imagined the sad expression.</p><p>"if you're looking for Romano, think he went that way. " Seborga supplied helpfully, gesturing with a careless wave. "Ah! Grazie!" Italy instantly lit up. He nodded to Seborga and turned to go. "Italy!" Seborga blurted out, and the other turned to stare at him, expectantly. Seborga flushed, realizing he had actually called out. "If Romano isn't available you can hang out with me, you know!" He forced out the sentence, tripping over his words. Italy blinked, revealing his amber eyes for only a moment. "Good idea Seborga! You and I and Fratello should all hang out some day!" He grinned and skipped off excitedly. </p><p>"Fratello!" Italy called for Romano. He was so focused of finding Romano that he almost didnt hear Seborga's murmur from behind him. "But I'm your Fratello too."  Almost. But when Italy turned to face Seborga one last time, the other country was grinning like a fool, as though the heartwrenching words never fell from his lips. Italy froze for just a moment. Maybe another country would have fallen for that foolish grin, but Italy recognized it from years ago, after the Holy Roman Empire had fallen. Italy had seen this forced smile, day after day, appearing hopelessly in the mirror. </p><p>Back then Italy had thought that if he had just smiled a little more, that maybe he might remember how it used to feel when he smiled, that if he tried hard enough, he might remember how to be happy. Italy, turned to go back to Seborga, to say something, but at this moment a familiar voice called out to him. "Fratello?" Romano appeared over the hill.  "Ah, Romano!" Italy remembered why he was looking for Romano and clambered to the top of hill, holding the letter out to his brother. "Romano! A letter came for you from Spain!" Italy trilled happily. "What?" Romano S's eyes widened, and he snatched the letter out of Italy's hands. "What does that tomato bastard want now?" He demanded, not at all looking as annoyed as he acted. </p><p>"Hey, Fratello~" Italy began cautiously, an idea forming in his head. "Why don't you, and me, and Seborga all go on a picnic together?" "Yeah, no way." Romano answered, almost habitually. "Come on!" Italy wheedled. "It will be fun, us three brothers have never hung out together before!" Romano stopped reading his letter to focus on what Italy said. "Three brothers?" Italy nodded enthusiastically. "Sì! You, me and our fratellino, Seborga!""No way in hell!" Romano snapped, barely letting Italy finish. "One of you is bad enough!" Romano scowled. He barely knew about the micro-nation, and intended to keep it that way. It wasn't that he hated Seborga or anything, he just found one brother hard enough to handle, and wasn't interested in another one. "Please!" Italy begged. "If you're that set on it, just have a picnic with him by yourself!" Romano snapped, irritated. Italy clapped his hands together. "Good idea, fratello! I'll go invite him!" "Wait! " Romano called out, startled, but Italy had already danced away. Romano hesitated. He had actually been looking forward to their picnic, and had only wanted to discourage Italy from inviting Seborga, and wasn't quite sure how he had ended up uninviting himself.</p><p>He started to call out to Italy, but his brother was already happily talking with Seborga, and Romano was too proud to call him back. Instead, he kept his hands clenched at his side and pretended he couldn't see his two brothers waving at him. "Fine then." He muttered bitterly to himself. "I didn't want to go anyways." But still, Romano could help but feel a spiteful twinge in his heart as Italy hooked his arm around Seborga and hauled him away instead of Romano.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Seborga kicked at the ground, struggling to keep a smile on his face. He knew it wasn't that Italy disliked him or was purposely avoiding him, only that Italy simply didn't see him as family. Somehow that hurt much more. Seborga didn't regret going independent and becoming a micro-nation, but sometimes he felt crushingly alone. He knew that if he was lonely and wanted to hang out, Sealand would be more that happy to oblige, and Wy would grudgingly come along, and of course Kugelmugel would also tag along. But as much as Seborga loved hanging out with the other micronations, he wanted to hang out with nations more his age, and more than that, his family. When he had decided he was going to be a micro-nation, neither Italy nor Romano objected. Romano had been unimpressed, simply stating "Whatever, don't get into trouble."  While Italy had urged him to "do your best!" </p><p><br/>Still, no matter what Seborga did, he couldn't help but feel like an outsider to the Italy brothers. "I'm an Italy brother too." He managed dejectedly. He hadn't been surprised, although he had been a little hurt, when Italy immediately left him to find Romano. He was, however, surprised when Italy came back. "Say, Seborga!" Italy called suddenly from behind him, and Seborga barely had time to react before said country attached himself to his arm. "Huh?" He said, eyes wide with surprise. "Italy, you came back?" Italy grinned at him, ridiculously happy. "Sì! You said if Romano was busy I could hang out with you, right?" Italy froze comically as a sudden though occurred to him. "Unless you're busy!" He jumped back letting go of Seborga's arm. "Am I bothering you?" "No!" Seborga grabbed Italy's arm, a little too desperately. "Ah." Seborga quickly let go, trying not to flush. "I mean, I would love to hang out...if you want to." Italy was all too happy to latch onto Seborga's arm again, and turned to wave excitedly at Romano. Seborga too, hesitantly waved, but Romano didn't react. </p><p><br/>"Guess he didn't see." Italy decided, hauling Seborga off to set up the picnic blanket underneath a nearby tree. Seborga couldn't help but wonder if maybe Romano had seen them, but decided to ignore. He felt a more genuine smile creep across his face. "How nice of Romano to let me and Italy hang out together." He thought to himself. Seborga couldn't help but wish that Romano, too, would come hang out ith him, but pushed the thought away, it was best not to be too greedy, after all.  During the picnic, Seborga could not stop beaming, and listened eagerly to Italy's stories of the mysterious "Grandpa Rome." "I would have like to have met him." Seborga said dreamily, in an offhand way." Italy stared at him for a moment. "I can't imagine not having Grandpa Rome!" Italy marveled at the thought. "I think I would have been very lonely without him." For a moment Italy was drawn into reverie , after Romano was separated from him, and Grandpa Rome was gone.  those had been lonely days, before the belligerent Holy Rome had met Italy. </p><p><br/>"Yeah, it is." Seborga sighed, and Italy was pulled back to the presence. Seborga stared into the distance, as though seeing things that Italy couldn't see, wearing a small, sad smile, so different than his normal carefree beam. The difference was so jarring, Italy almost didn't recognize Seborga, sitting beside him. For the first time, Italy realize how little attention he and Romano paid to their little brother, and Seborga's quiet plea from earlier rung in his head. "I'm your fratello too."  But within moments, Seborga shook himself out of his reverie, and grinned playfully at Italy. "Tell me more about you!" He asked hungrily. "What do you like to do? you paint, I know, I've seen some of your paintings." Italy again felt a little guilty. After all, they were brothers, but they knew nothing about each other. It reminded him of when he and Romano were suddenly reunited. </p><p><br/>"Hey, Seborga," Italy ventured, "are you lonely?" His younger brother froze, his green eyes wide with shock.  The expression on Seborga's face, as though he wasn't sure what to say next, told Italy all he needed to know. "You know," Italy continued, gently, "I know I'm not a very good older brother, and I'm not very reliable like Romano, or tough, and I don't like fighting, and I give up easily-" Italy cut off his tirade of self-deprecating remarks. He tilted his head a little to meet Seborga's gaze, bewildered and confused, before he continued. "-But you're my only fratellino, and I'm here for you if you need it." He said softly. For a moment, Seborga didn't react at all, frozen stone-still with his sandwich only inches from his mouth. Then, like a dam had sprung a leak, tears came leaking out of Seborga's eyes, dripping slowly at first, then turning into a steady stream. </p><p>"Ah!" Seborga quickly dropped the sandwich wiping unashamedly at his tears. Italy panicked, "I'm sorry!" He cried desperately, pulling a white flag out of his pocket and dismantling it to offer the cloth to Seborga as a handkerchief.  "Please don't cry!" Italy begged pathetically, wiping at his younger brother's tears. "It's okay." Seborga said, and surprisingly, he looked like he meant it. Even though the tears kept falling, Seborga didn't look upset. "They're happy tears." He explained, wiping roughly at his cheeks. "It's the first time I've had family so I just-"</p><p>Italy wrapped his arms around Seborga, pulling him into a full-on brotherly hug. "From now on, I won't let you be lonely anymore!" Italy declared, now crying too. "If you're ever lonely, you can come find me, or Romano you know." Italyannouced, not checking to get Romano's opinion on the matter. The moment was interrupted when a nearby bush cursed, and Romano stumbled out from behind a tree, flushing at being caught.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Romano scowled from behind the tree. He told himself it wasn't that he was upset that his stupid fratello had abandoned him for Seborga, it was just that he was hungry, which is why he was joining their picnic. Except, somehow, he seemed to have walked in on a serious conversation and couldn't seem to find a time to enter the picnic. Romano didn't consider himself a touchy-feely kind of guy, but when he heard Seborga sniffle and say "It's the first time I've had family." in his teary voice, Romano couldn't help but but feel guilty. </p><p>He couldn't help but remember how lonely he had felt, when Grandpa Rome always chose Italy over him, or when he was separated from Italy, waiting for Spain to come back all those times. Romano had told himself he didn't care, it didn't matter to him, that he liked being alone. He had avoided Italy as much as he could because he never felt he could be as good as Italy, but Italy had refused to leave him alone. He had refused to talk to Seborga for much the same reasons. And even though he told himself and Italy that it wa because one brother was more than enough, he couldn't help but feel like the bad guy. He had hated that Grandpa Rome seemed to love Italy more than him, but wasn't he making Seborga feel the same way? Even so "There's no way I can go out there now." He muttered under his breath. </p><p>"Why not?" The unexpected voice caused Romano to jump, and he stifled a curse. Belgium leaned over his shoulder, smirking. "What are you doing here?" Romano whispered, not at all pleased to suddenly be confronted by the person who had teased him in his childhood. "Watching you." Belgium replied, still smirking. "Well, go away!" Romano tried to shoo her away. "You're not going to ask me for a kiss this time?" Belgium teased, pseudo-innocence on her face. Romano felt his face heat up. "Well, never mind that." Belgium turned serious. "They are your siblings, shouldn't you join them?" "I won't!" Romano refused, not looking her in the face. "If you're ever lonely, you can come find me, or Romano you know."  Italy's loud declaration caught his attention and Romano growled under his breath "Don't involve me, stupid fratello." He glanced around the tree he was hiding behind. Perhaps it was because he wasn't looking at Belgium that he missed her telltale smirk returning, but the next thing Romano next her palms hit his back and he stumbled forwards, out from his hiding place. This time, Romano really did curse. </p><p><br/>Suddenly Romano felt himself the center of attention, and he tried not to look like a deer caught in headlights. "Fratello!" Italy launched himself at Romano, and years of practice helped Romano catch him without falling. "You came after all!" Italy was thrilled. Seborga eyes widened even further, and he stared at Romano as if Christmas had come early. "It's not like I was eavesdropping" Romano felt the need to defend himself, "I just didn't want to interrupt you, is all."  It had never occurred to Italy that Romano might have meant to eavesdrop, and he accepted this information without question. "See?" he trilled, happily turning to Seborga. "Romano is here for you too!" Romano coughed, flushing red again. He opened his mouth to say that he was not, in fact a babysitter, and not to bug him, but found the words refused to come out when he looked at Seborga's sparkling eyes. "yeah, whatever. " He said, trying to seem as though he didn't really care.</p><p><br/>Seborga looked like he might start crying again, and Romano cut off that route immediately. "I'm leaving if the waterworks start up again." He informed them both coolly, dropping onto the blanket and choosing a sandwich. Seborga wiped his eyes, picking up his fallen sandwich as well. "You know," Seborga said cheerfully, mouth full of food, "Belgium says I'm more like Italy, but I think I'm more like you!" Romano choked on his food. "How are you like me?" he snapped, almost on instinct. Seborga didn't seem upset, only stared at Romano. "Our eyes?" He suggested, gesturing to his green eyes. Romano felt like maybe he should punch Seborga and knock some sense into him. "No, you're definitely more like Italy. " He retorted, but he couldn't help but feel a little flattered. Romano had been upset when his eye colour turned from amber to green like Spain's, because he felt it made him less like Grandpa Rome. But seeing how Seborga seemed so happy to share the same eye colour as him, Romano began to think that maybe green eyes weren't too bad after all.  Italy too, was flattered, and grinned happily at the others. "We should do this more often!" He decided, and Seborga perked up at the idea, and both stared at Romano for confirmation. Romano groaned.<br/>"Once every so often wouldn't be so bad." He relented, and both of his brother's beamed.</p><p><br/>A camera flashed behind them from the treeline, and the peaceful mood was broken as Romano jumped to his feet and hurled his sandwich at the offender, go giggled, dodged, and ran for it, as Romano cursed at her back. </p>
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